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BACKGROUND: The effect of marine omega-3 PUFAs on risk of stroke remains unclear. METHODS: We investigated the associations between circulating and tissue omega-3 PUFA levels and incident stroke (total, ischemic, and hemorrhagic) in 29 international prospective cohorts. Each site conducted a de novo individual-level analysis using a prespecified analytical protocol with defined exposures, covariates, analytical methods, and outcomes; the harmonized data from the studies were then centrally pooled. Multivariable-adjusted HRs and 95% CIs across omega-3 PUFA quintiles were computed for each stroke outcome. RESULTS: Among 183 291 study participants, there were 10 561 total strokes, 8220 ischemic strokes, and 1142 hemorrhagic strokes recorded over a median of 14.3 years follow-up. For eicosapentaenoic acid, comparing quintile 5 (Q5, highest) with quintile 1 (Q1, lowest), total stroke incidence was 17% lower (HR, 0.83 [CI, 0.76–0.91]; P <0.0001), and ischemic stroke was 18% lower (HR, 0.82 [CI, 0.74–0.91]; P <0.0001). For docosahexaenoic acid, comparing Q5 with Q1, there was a 12% lower incidence of total stroke (HR, 0.88 [CI, 0.81–0.96]; P =0.0001) and a 14% lower incidence of ischemic stroke (HR, 0.86 [CI, 0.78–0.95]; P =0.0001). Neither eicosapentaenoic acid nor docosahexaenoic acid was associated with a risk for hemorrhagic stroke. These associations were not modified by either baseline history of AF or prevalent CVD. CONCLUSIONS: Higher omega-3 PUFA levels are associated with lower risks of total and ischemic stroke but have no association with hemorrhagic stroke.

AbstractProperly capturing the transition from shallow to deep convection remains a major shortcoming of numerical weather and climate models due to poor understanding of the physical processes controlling this transition. Although recent studies suggest shallow preconditioning and cold pool feedbacks to be important, these studies are unable to explain the initial phase of the transition. We identify an additional mechanism, namely the interaction between passive cloud volumes (PCV)—old cumulus cloud volumes in the decaying stage—and updrafts, and discuss the potential role of this mechanism in the transition from shallow to deep convection. We show that the number of updrafts interacting with PCV is very large during the transition and the updrafts better preserve their buoyancy due to entrainment of much moister air. We argue that PCV might play an important role in the transition and cumulus parameterizations could therefore benefit from including them.

Abstract Although the European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) is one of the most common and widespread ungulate species in Europe and inhabiting a variety of habitats, few studies have addressed its population structure at a large spatial scale using nuclear genetic data. The aims of our study were to: (i) investigate genetic diversity, level of admixture, and genetic structure across European Roe Deer populations; (ii) identify barriers to gene flow; and (iii) reveal factors that have impacted the observed pattern of population genetic structure. Using 12 microsatellite loci, we analyzed 920 European Roe Deer samples from 16 study sites from northern, southern, central, and eastern Europe. The highest genetic diversity was found in central and eastern sites, and lowest in the northern and southern sites. There were 2 main groups of genetically related populations in the study area—one inhabiting mainly Fennoscandia, and the second in the continental part of Europe. This second population was further divided into 3 to 5 spatially distributed genetic clusters. European Roe Deer belonging to the Siberian mitochondrial DNA clade, inhabiting large parts of eastern Europe, were not identified as a separate population in the analysis of microsatellite loci. No isolation by distance (IBD) was detected between roe deer from the fennoscandian and the continental study sites, but the Baltic Sea was inferred to be the main barrier to gene flow. Only weak IBD was revealed within the continental population. Three lower-level genetic barriers were detected in the western, southern, and eastern parts of the study area. The main factors inferred as shaping the observed genetic diversity and population structure of European Roe Deer were postglacial recolonization, admixture of different populations of the species originating from several Last Glacial Maximum refugial areas, and isolation of several study sites.

We assessed the distribution of alien fishes in the Karun River Basin, Iran. Fish were collected from 39 sites during the November–December 2018 low-flow period. In total, 39 fish species from nine orders and 14 families were documented. Among these, 10 species were alien to the basin (986 individuals; 15.7%). Four species were the most abundant alien species and primarily in impounded, downstream reaches. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was conducted to identify the extent of changes in alien fish assemblages with environmental parameters. RDA1 and RDA2 accounted for 36.24% and 25.33% of the variation of alien species, respectively. Altitude, depth, electrical conductivity, water temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and river width were the most significant parameters affecting alien species distributions. We present a dual-pathway cause-and-effect hypothesis proposing that alien fish species presence causes declines in the ecological status of native fish communities. We then explore how human-induced aquatic ecosystem degradation creates opportunities for alien species to invade new ecosystems, further impacting native fish communities. Our study contributes insight into the cause and effect of the presence of alien fish species in the Karun River Basin and emphasizes the urgency of conservation measures to protect this critically endangered watershed.

This study identified the levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in 15 species of commonly consumed fish in Thailand (7 freshwater species, 8 marine species), as well as the risk of these toxic elements for consumers. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS-MS) was used to identify toxic elements, while an exposure assessment was conducted by applying consumption amounts from the national food consumption survey to the toxic element contents in the fish samples. The results showed that the fish contained arsenic ranging from less than the limit of detection (LOD) to 8.51 mg/kg fresh weight (FW), cadmium ranging from the LOD to 0.04 mg/kg FW, and mercury ranging from the limit of quantitation (LOQ) to 0.38 mg/kg FW. Lead was found in small amounts (<LOQ) when compared to the Codex and Thailand’s standards. Only grouper had a higher mercury content (0.55 mg/kg FW) than that of the Codex standard, but it was lower than the notification requirement of Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health. Based on the estimated daily intake scenario, the consumption of most fish species posed a low risk of concern in terms of cadmium and lead. A high risk of concern was found for arsenic exposure, with the exception of long, non-scaly fish (catfish and dory). Marine fish, with the exception of Indo-Pacific mackerel, also posed a high risk of mercury exposure, but only in the case of a high mercury content, high consumption, or both. For a high arsenic content with high consumption or both, children aged 0–5.9 years were at a high risk of concern. Food safety authorities should regularly monitor the levels of toxic element contamination in high-risk food products.

Climate indices are often used as a climate monitoring tool, allowing us to understand how the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events are changing over time. Here, based on complex statistical analysis we identify highly correlated significant pairs of compound events at the highest spatial resolution, on a monthly temporal scale across Europe. Continental-scale monthly analysis unleashes information on compound events such as high-risk zones, hotspots, monthly shifts of hotspots and trends, risk exposure to land cover and population, and identification of maximum increasing trends. While there are many studies on single or compound climate extremes there are only a few studies that addresses the relationship between pairs of hazards, the incorporation of bioclimatic indices, the determination of a grid best-fit copula approach, and the outlining relevance of this work of compound event risks with exposures. In this respect, here, using 27-bivariate and 10-trivariate copula models, we show that the different hazard pairs have high combined risks of indices related to radiation, temperature, evapotranspiration, bioclimatic-based indices, such as the universal thermal climate index, wind chill index, and heat index, mainly over the northern and eastern European countries. Furthermore, we show that over the last 7 decades, agricultural and coastal areas are highly exposed to the risks of defined hotspots of compound events. In some of the hotspots of compound events-identified by clusters, there is no monthly shifts of hotspots, leading to higher impacts when compounded. Future work needs to integrate the framework and process to identify other compound pairs. To get an output for the study region other than Europe follow the methodology of the manuscript (available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45067-6). The stored output folder contains 72 climate indices, correlation values using Pearson, Kendall, and Spearman, joint probability of bivariate and trivariate compound events, and spatiotemporal trend analysis (nature and magnitude of change) values using Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope for those pairs of a compound event. Follow the steps mentioned in the Readme file to apply a similar approach to other regions. 

The effect is studied of water-suspended soot microparticles on the actin cytoskeleton, apoptosis, and proliferation in the gill epithelium of pearl gourami. To this end, the fish are kept in aquariums with 0.005 g/L of soot for 5 and 14 days. Laser confocal microscopy is used to find that at the analyzed times of exposure to the pollutant zones appear in the gill epithelium, where the actin framework of adhesion belts dissociates and F-actin either forms clumps or concentrates perinuclearly. It is shown that the exposure to soot microparticles enhances apoptosis. On day 5, suppression of the proliferation of cells occurs, but the proliferation increases to the control values on day 14. Such a paradoxical increase in proliferation may be a compensatory process, maintaining the necessary level of gill function under the exposure to toxic soot. This process may occur until the gills’ recovery reserve is exhausted. In general, soot microparticles cause profound changes in the actin cytoskeleton in gill cells, greatly enhance cell death, and influence cell proliferation as described. Together, these processes may cause gill dysfunction and affect the viability of fish.

Interleukin (IL) 21 is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays an important role in regulating innate and adaptive immune responses. In fish, the biological functions and cell source of IL-21 remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescent microscopy to examine the expression of IL-21 at the mRNA and protein levels. We found that il21 expression was induced in the primary head kidney leukocytes of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) by heat-inactivated Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) and LPS and in tissues after infection with A. hydrophila. Recombinant IL-21 protein produced in the CHO-S cells was effective in elevating the expression of antibacterial genes, including β-defensin and lysozyme, and, interestingly, inhibited the NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, we investigated the response of the IL-21 expressing cells to A. hydrophila infection. Immunofluorescent assay showed that IL-21 protein was detected in the CD3γ/δ T cells and was markedly accumulated in the anterior, middle and posterior intestine. Collectively, the results indicate that IL-21 plays an important role in regulating the intestinal inflammation induced by bacterial infection in grass carp.